Car-coupling.



W. McCONWAY, JR

CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8, 1915.

1,214,338. Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. McCONWAY, JR.

CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION men DEC-8, 1915.

1,21%,33 Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- WILLIAM MGCONWAY, 33., 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MOCONWAY & TORLEY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPO- RATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CAB-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. December 8, 1915. Serial No. 65,670.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM McCoNwAv, Jr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to Which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the construction of couplers for railway vehicles and par ticularly to those in which the coupler head is pivotally mounted on the coupler stem. The tendency of some railroads to employ heavier coupler heads and heavier knuckles and other coupler parts consequently results in lengthening the coupler head from the pulling face rearwardly to the pivot pin connecting the head and stem, thus increasing the extent of projection or overhang of the head beyond the carry-iron. This greater weight and overhang increases the tendency of the head to droop on the stem, especially as the pivot pin becomes worn from service.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and eflicient means which are especially adapted for minimizing any such drooping of the coupler head with respect to the stem or support on which it is pivotally mounted as might result from the wearing of the pivot pin where the coupler head is unusually heavy and projects forwardly beyond the pivot pin to a greater extent than usual. This object, generally stated, is effected by providing such a ivotally mounted coupler head with a rigid y attached rearwardly extending member which overlaps the coupler stem and has sliding engagement with a stationary part of the vehicle. Through such an arrangement the weight of the coupler stem may be availed of in opposing the drooping of the coupler head.

In the drawings which illustrate the invention, the scope whereof is pointed out in the claims, Figure 1 is a plan view of a car coupler embodying the invention, a portion of the coupler stem being omitted, and parts of the car framing being illustrated in order to show the relation of the devices thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the car coupler illustrated in Fig. 1, parts of the car structure being shown in vertical section. Fig. 3 is a View corresponding to Fig. 2, but illustrating a modified form of my invention. Fig. 4 is also a view corresponding to Fig. 2, but illustrating still another modification of the invention. I

The portions of the car structure which are illustrated in the drawings are the center sills 1, 1, the buffer casting or platform end casting 2, the buffer plate 3, and the foot' plate 4:. A well known form of carry iron 5 passes under the coupler stem to afford a support for the coupler.

The coupler head 6 is pivotally mounted upon the outer end of the coupler stem 7, the means for connecting these two parts preferably being a vertically extending pivot pin or bolt 8 which passes through corresponding openings in the coupler head and in the coupler stem. The forward end of the coupler stem 7 projects into a pocket that is formed in the rear end of the coupler head 6. The particular form of coupler stem, its mode of connection with the coupler head, and the features of construction of the coupler head heretofore described are fully set forth in Patent No. 950,485, granted to William Kelso on March 1, 1910.

-While the details of construction illustrated in the drawings are those that are preferably employed, it will be apparent that the invention is not limited to the spe cific forms of the combining elements.

In each of the forms of construction, in Order to minimize drooping of the coupler head, said head 6 is provided with a rigidly attached member which extends to the rear of the pivot pin 8 and which is adapted to have slidable engagement with a stationary part of the railway vehicle, the said rigidly attached member being so disposed that it lies outside of the coupler stem 7 and is in vertical alinement with the latter when the parts are in normal position. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the rearwardly extending member with which the coupler head 6 is provided is a centrally disposed arm or bar ,9 that extends between the carry iron 5 and the lower side of the coupler stem 7, being in engagement with both of these parts and being pressed downwardly by the weight of the coupler stem. As shown at 10, the rearwardly extending arm 9 is preferably thickened at its inner end. This insures that the Weight of the coupler stem 7' shall be transmitted to the member 9 at a point well to the rear of the vertical axis or pivot pin 8 on which the coupler head 6 turns, the weight of the coupler stem being thus most effectively applied to oppose drooping of the coupler head with respect to the coupler stem, as will be readily understood. V

In the modified form of construction illustrat'ed in Fig. 3, the coupler head 6 is provided with a centrally disposed rearwardly extending arm or member 11, which is substantially of the same form as the arm 9. In this form of my invention the arm 11 engages the under surface of the stationary carry iron 5 instead of engaging the upper surface thereof, while the coupler stem 7 is directly supported upon the upper surface of the carry iron in the usual manner. In Fig. 4 the rearwardly extending arm 12,

which minimizes drooping of the coupler head, is interposed between the upper side of the coupler stem 7 and the platform end casting 2, having slidable engagement at its rear end with the under surface 13 of the platform end casting. The member 12 may be of identically the same form as the arms 9 and 11 hereinbefore described.

I claim:

1. In a draft appliance for railway vehicles, the combination with a coupler stem which is adapted to be mounted upon the body of a railway vehicle, of a coupler head, and means for pivotally connecting said head and stem so as to permit said head to swing laterally in a horizontal plane with respect to said stem, said head being provided with a rigidly attached member which extends to the rear of the pivotal axis of said head and which is adapted to be interposed between said coupler stem'and a stationary part of said vehicle and to engage a stationary part of said vehicle.

'2. In a draft appliance for railway vehicles, the combination with a coupler stem which is adapted to be movably mounted on the body of a railway vehicle, of a coupler head, and means for connecting said head and stem so as to permit said head to turn on a vertical axis, said head being provided with a rearwardly extending member which is movable therewith and which overlaps said stem and is'adapted to have sliding engagement with a stationary part of said vehicle.

3. In a draft appliance for railway vehicles, the combination with a coupler stem which is adapted to be movably mounted on the body of a. railway vehicle, of a conpler head, a vertically extending pivot pin connecting said head and stem, and a carry iron extending under and supporting said coupler stem, said coupler head being provided with a rearwardly extending memher having overlapping engagement with said carry iron. 7

4. In a draft appliance for railway vehicles, the combination .with a couplerstem, of a coupler head, means for movably con necting said head and stem, and a carry iron supporting said stem, said coupler head being provided with a rearwardly extending member which is interposed between and engages said stem and carry 1ron.

5. In a draft appliance for railway vehicles, the combination with a coupler stem, of a coupler head, means for movably connecting said'head and stem, and means for minimizing drooping of said head with respect to said stem, said means for minimizing drooping extending rearwardly from said head and engaging said stem and being pressed downwardly by the weight of said stem. V

6. A coupler head having vertically alined openings for the reception of a pivot pin whereby it may be connected to a coupler stem, and having arearwardly open pocket adapted to receive the forward end of a coupler stem, and being provided with a rigidly attached portion which extends rearwardly beyond and lies wholly to one side of said pocket and is adapted to engage a stationary part of a railway vehicle.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM MCCONWAY, JR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the comn'ussioner of Patents.

Washington, 11.0. 

